Volvo Plans Diesel Plug-in Hybrid V60 for 2012

Volvo will introduce the world's first consumer-available diesel plug-in hybrid in its V60 wagon in 2012. 

The plug-in hybrid V60 has a range of 50km on pure electrical power with a total operating range of about 1200km. It produces a skant 49g/km of CO2 and uses 1.9l/100km of diesel. Volvo claims that running costs will be about one third of a conventional internal combustion engine. It will be possible to charge the car at home and will take about five hours to charge from empty on a residential power supply. 

The hybrid system's engineering was developed with cooperation with Swedish energy comapny, Vattenfall. There is no word yet, if Volvo will also be using this engine in any of its other vehicles. Volvo admitted that the due to the battery pack the hybrid V60 will cost more than other models but did not say exactly how much more.